The story behind The Brahma and me

With my first toe-tip into the blogosphere in March 2010, I began writing about my critter crew and life on the farm—their shenanigans and my delight in sharing time and space with them, as well as my reflections and my spiritual journey.

Reared in the Seattle suburbs and more importantly having never set foot on a farm, I had passed the half century mark before adopting my first calf.

Sent by my publisher to shoot dairy farms during dairy month in 1998, I captured on film a farmer pulling a half Holstein-half Brahma from his mother’s womb. At 11 days, I adopted him. Named Sonny, he rode to his new home inside the largest wire dog crate I could find placed in the back of the Dodge Ram.

For the first year of his life Sonny’s companions were primarily All-American canines. The farm has grown to include three bovines, Sonny, Holly and Buff; two equines--a line-back dun filly named Bebe and a Palomino paint gelding named Jack; two canines Sam and Luke; and 10 felines. All are rescues except for the horses.